Find your product
Your agent only buys what you link — this step gets you the right links from the right marketplaces.
What happens in this step?
Orders happen on Chinese marketplaces. The big three: Taobao (the huge everyday marketplace with reviews), Weidian (small independent stores with barely any review system) and 1688 (wholesale, often with minimum quantities). For beginners, Taobao is the most comfortable entry.
In the end you need exactly one thing: the product link. Whether you find it through a marketplace search, an image search or an external catalog like finds.how is a matter of taste.
finds.how is an independent, external site — a searchable catalog of community finds for Taobao, Weidian and 1688. how2ship links there but does not run the catalog.
How to do it
Start with a search
Search finds.how (external, opens in a new tab) for a brand or product type — or search the marketplace directly if you have Chinese keywords.
Use image search when words fail
Uploading a photo of the item to Taobao's image search (camera icon in the app) often gets you there faster than any translation.
Vet the seller
On Taobao: check sales numbers and ratings. Weidian has barely any reviews — community experience and, later, the QC photos matter all the more.
Measure instead of guessing
Clothing: ignore S/M/L and read the seller's cm size chart. Asian sizes often run notably small. Compare against a garment that fits you.
Collect the links
Copy the product link of every item — in the next step you submit them to your agent.
What to pay attention to
- Listing photos can be stock images — what actually arrives is only shown by the QC photos in step 5.
- 1688 is wholesale: minimum order quantities (MOQ) and tiered prices are normal, returns are practically impossible.
- Marketplace prices are in yuan (CNY) — your agent converts to their billing currency at purchase.
Typical beginner mistakes
- Ordering by Western sizes instead of the cm chart — the most common cause of bad buys.
- Buying from the cheapest of ten identical-looking listings without checking the seller.
- Collecting screenshots instead of links — the agent needs the link to the exact listing.
Quick checklist
- I have the product link for every item (not just a picture).
- Variant is settled: colour, size (in cm), version.
- The seller looks trustworthy (sales/ratings or a community find).
- I'm aware finds.how is an external site.
Product search on finds.how (external)
An external catalog of community finds for Taobao, Weidian and 1688. Your search opens there in a new tab — how2ship does not run the catalog.